Whatever the medical community, and policy-makers, deem as “correct language” remains irrelevant as far as many people on the spectrum are concerned. Reading online forums where autistic adults share their views, it becomes clear that this is not really a debate. The good intentions behind people-first (or person-first) terminology merit investigation, and so does the reasoning behind a shift in preference to identity-first language by many in the autism, blind and Deaf communities.
So how did the use of person-first language become so contentious? In this regard, parents can help children (who are interested and able to understand the debate) see the reasoning behind both language choices.īecause, believe it or not, the reasoning behind person-first language was not to offend anyone, it was actually intended to show respect and build self-esteem. When it comes to children, parents are often in the best position to find out about their language preferences-when they reach the necessary understanding concerning person- and identity-first language. Perhaps this is the point of the debate… we should ask individuals on the spectrum what they want. However, she also shared she often hears person-first language from parents with children on the spectrum-this is in line with research (Collier, 2012) which suggests parents generally prefer and use person-first language (“with autism”). She used identity-first language (“I am autistic”) and was of the opinion that most autistic adults do the same. She chuckled, and told me, “It’s always a dicey thing,” and wished me: “Good luck!” I couldn’t have asked for a more gracious interviewee. So, when our video call started, I asked about her preference after we introduced ourselves. Lovegrove would therefore be familiar with both sides of the debate. Students and academics submitting research may get penalized (or not published at all!) for using “incorrect” language, and many publishers adhere to strict person-first guidelines.Īs an autistic woman and a respected academic, Dr.
On the other hand, in academic and publishing sectors, person-first language is mostly an absolute requirement. In fact, it probably goes beyond preference-from certain online forums it seems person-first language is sometimes viewed as offensive, belittling, and ignorant. I’ve done enough research to know most adults on the spectrum prefer identity-first language. A bit of nervousness is to be expected when you’re about to interview a doctor, who is also a successful author and speaker, and one of my concerns was ensuring I used her preferred terminology in my questioning.
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